Yes I am fully aware this is highly unlikely but the only way I see it happening is if he loses the locker room especially since he was hired because he connects with the players. The reason I started this thread (which I am sure many will hate) is because there seems to be some cracks in the foundation already.
Godchaux recently called out some nameless guys on the defense calling them selfish and insinuating there is some freelancing going on. I think most of us have surmised that he is likely talking about Keion White or Josh Uche. Guys looking out for number one already only a month in is a recipe for disaster.
Demario Douglas openly voiced his displeasure about his lack of targets and Brissett spoke to him on it. Douglas still seems to be pretty demonstrative on the field with his palms up in the air on occasion and per Evan Lazar some pretty visible frustration on the all 22. There was also rumors he was walking back to the locker room early before the end of the game on Sunday. To this one I say, "Who the hell is Demario Douglas to act this way?" There looks to be some talent there but he's a second year 6th round pick coming off a 60 for 650 year. He isn't exactly Calvin Johnson.
Three team leaders out for the foreseeable future in the last couple games. Bentley, Andrews, and the word is Dugger will likely miss some time. Three missing captains in the locker room of a young, struggling team with a young head coach trying to right the ship. If we already have guys not buying in like Douglas and the unnamed defensive players not having team captains around isn't going to help.
This is obviously speculation but I get the feeling that Mayo isn't on the same page with AVP and potentially Wolfe, on when Maye plays. Mayo when asked about the starter going forward after the Jets game responded with "I don't know" then quickly backtracked in his next interview with some nonsense about "watching the tape" which to me reading between the lines is he was told Brissett would remain the starter. Maybe I am wrong but Mayo has called AVP the "head coach of the offense" which could be read multiple ways but the fact that Maye isn't playing yet seems to point to AVP.
Alex Van Pelt. I know most on here were as underwhelmed with the AVP hire as I was but he seemed to be the first guy that actually say yes which obviously isn't a good thing. I did just mention how I don’t think him and Mayo are on the same page on the Maye timeline and I think some of that stems from AVP not wanting to reduce/change the playbook for a rookie with a different skillset. Not adapting to the starter is what got him canned in Cleveland last year. Van Pelt was able to piece it together with numerous journeymen quarterbacks and get solid results but when it came time to adapting his offense to a guy with a different skillset he allegedly balked and wanted to make Watson play his way. Obviously that isn't a power struggle he was going to win seeing how the Browns sold their soul for Watson but that isn't the approach I would want for our rookie quarterback with a vert limited supporting cast. In addition to any overall philosophy issues or starting quarterback debate AVP just doesn't seem to be a very good coordinator. The real all "All 22" tape nerds like Greg Bedard and Evan Lazar haven't loved what they have seen. Lazar basically has said AVP isn't getting guys in position to succeed with screens or misdirection to help aide the terrible offensive line. Bedard highlighted a play from Sunday on a toss play to Stevenson that lost 7 yards because he had Thornton in the slot trying to block a guy and got blown up.
The outside noise. I know everyone wants to pretend that NFL coaches and players just "ignore the noise" but we all know that isn't the reality. Mayo's new kinder and gentler approach with the media is what it is, but with more and more pitchforks starting to come out and some hard decisions on the horizon Mayo's feet really could be held to the fire soon. It doesn't help that his former coach and franchise legend is taking not so veiled shots at him and the organization. A lot of the media and fanbase are going to take Bill's word as gospel whether he has an axe to grind or not. I don't know think media scrutiny is going to be a huge factor in any decisions the new regime or owner make but it definitely isn't making things easier.
I know right now the thought of moving on from Mayo is extremely premature but so far things seem to be going about as poorly as they could. My issue is that the coaching staff he has to heavily rely on isn't very good and he may not even have the authority to dictate the personnel on the field. Combine that with locker room issues starting to bubble up when avoiding things like that was supposed to be Mayo's specialty it makes me pretty concerned with how things may go over the next 4 months or so.
